In our busy lives, sleep is critical to shut down the brain without worrying about things. However, for some people, no external stimulus can lead to more internal thought and, therefore, more anxiety as our mind thinks about every possible “what if.” This can prevent you from getting the whole night’s sleep you need.
One thought in particular may haunt someone for years. For some, it is an embarrassing moment from years ago. For others, it is something they might miss out on with an ex. And for me, it’s one thought that I keep thinking about constantly:
If Jurassic Park were a real place similar to Disney World — AND I lived in a world where the Jurassic Park books or movies had never been made — would I go?
Some people may laugh at this trivial idea. But when you consider it more, it really is an interesting conundrum.
Let us imagine for a moment that we live in a world where cloning and raising real flesh and blood dinosaurs (and other extinct prehistoric megafauna) is possible. This technology was groundbreaking years ago for scientific research. Now, as the novelty wears off, those possessing that technology use it to make millions of dollars by using the creatures they have made as attractions.
It’s easy to watch Jurassic Park and laugh at the foolishness of this. “Look at the idiots who went to ‘vicious dinosaur island’ and are surprised when they run away from the vicious dinosaurs! They should have known that there was clear and present danger!”
But should they have known that?
If I lived in that world, I would not know of any kind of horror film or old books that describe the folly of men of science (or worse, men of capitalism) to warn me that I lived in a certain genre-aware foreshadowing. I knew it would be just as safe as going to an aquarium or zoo.
Yes, dinosaurs can be much more deadly than animals today due to their size alone. I am already afraid of approaching horses because if he sees a stick that looks like it could be a snake, he could freak out and bump into me with enough force to trample me. Animals are unpredictable, whether in captivity or the wild. Going anywhere near a triceratops would be considered the same level of danger as going near a wild rhinoceros but with less research on their behaviors or time to domesticate any aggressive behaviors through breeding programs.
It’s easy to watch people running away from dinosaurs. But it’s also hard to see myself doing anything different if I had no reason to believe anything would go wrong when I go to an aquarium or zoo.
Of course, this brings up another problem in our question. If Jurassic Park were a real place, could I go even if I wanted to?
One of the prominent themes of Jurassic Park is that it is expensive, only possible because an eccentric billionaire with a dream felt like taking wild chances. “Spared no expense!” Hammond repeats. Jurassic World sees this dream realized with groundbreaking paleogenetic research and countless attractions and rides that use cutting-edge technology. That, as well as a massive staff and mostly automated transportation system, means that it is expensive to maintain even with a massive profit from visitors. Could I afford the ticket to Jurassic Park?
As much as a dinosaur fan as I am, would I be able to come to the means to make this once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to a remote island where my dreams of walking with dinosaurs could come true? If I had the means to get myself there, would it be a prehistoric vacation or a death trap? If I could go to Jurassic Park, would it still make sense to follow that path if I did not know I was in a horror movie? These are the things that will continue to keep me up at night.
Featured image via Ekaterina Belinskaya on Pexels
